Re: Be Careful of Restoration Companies...

[Guest guest]

Did they rush you into doing the remediation?

I had an estimate from one company where the guy doing the estimate told me

that his " guys " just happened to be in the area this week and were sitting

because a another job was put on hold because it was a govt. building. He

told me that he would give me a special discount if I would sign the

contract, write a check for a deposit and have the remediation done the next

day.

These companies are unfortunately taking advantage of the Hysteria.

Joe E.

----- Original Message -----

From: " frogzorro " <checkov14@...>

< >

Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2004 2:11 AM

Subject: [] Be Careful of Restoration Companies...

> I had hired ( by a recommendation of a testing co. that I trust) to CA

restoation

> company to clean my possesions. I chose one and they are a greedy company

that put

> me in danger and saved the most important articles for last. Now, they

want an extra

> $5200 to clean it.

> They charge while the items are in their possession while waiting for a

tester to test

> the items, once cleaned. This is a franchise, like the Mcdonalds of Mold.

I will find out

> more on Monday after consulting my attorney.

> I had to take my cat to the vets on Friday as I noticed two pea-sized

lumps on her

> belly. My vet knew more about allergies ( ear wax, Interstitial Cystisis,

mold, Chemical

> sensititivies) than my doctors. Go figure. This goup has given me so

much-- I would

> like to thank you all.

>

> Lori K and Meow Cat

>

[Guest guest]

> Did they rush you into doing the remediation?

>

> I had an estimate from one company where the guy doing the estimate told me

> that his " guys " just happened to be in the area this week and were sitting

> because a another job was put on hold because it was a govt. building. He

> told me that he would give me a special discount if I would sign the

> contract, write a check for a deposit and have the remediation done the next

> day.

>

> These companies are unfortunately taking advantage of the Hysteria.

>

> Joe E.

> ----- Original Message -----

> From: " frogzorro " <checkov14@a...>

> < >

> Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2004 2:11 AM

> Subject: [] Be Careful of Restoration Companies...

>

>

> > I had hired ( by a recommendation of a testing co. that I trust) to CA

> restoation

> > company to clean my possesions. I chose one and they are a greedy company

> that put

> > me in danger and saved the most important articles for last. Now, they

> want an extra

> > $5200 to clean it.

> > They charge while the items are in their possession while waiting for a

> tester to test

> > the items, once cleaned. This is a franchise, like the Mcdonalds of Mold.

> I will find out

> > more on Monday after consulting my attorney.

> > I had to take my cat to the vets on Friday as I noticed two pea-sized

> lumps on her

> > belly. My vet knew more about allergies ( ear wax, Interstitial Cystisis,

> mold, Chemical

> > sensititivies) than my doctors. Go figure. This goup has given me so

> much-- I would

> > like to thank you all.

> >

> > Lori K and Meow Cat

They lied to me numerous times. They made me believe that I needed to sign the

documents as it was first come first serve. I needed to remove the items from

the

building in a specified amount of time. I will bite them so hard they will NEVER

hurt

anyone again. BTW, if any wants to " pray " for my cat that the biopsy is negative

I

would appreciate it. I am terrified that the lumps could be cancer.

Thanks, Lori K and Meow Cat

> >

[Guest guest]

Mold remediation and testing is a big business. Without regulations,

anyone can claim to be an expert in the field. However, there are

ways to protect yourself. Make sure the company has pollution

insurance, worker's comp. insurance for their employees, hire

companies that have employees that have been doing remediation

services for an average of 5 yrs., get and check references, get

referrals from others you know and trust, research the companies,

check credentials (did they become certified through the internet).

If a company is trying to rush you, they are probably not the right

company for you.

The Wall Street Journal published an article about this 2 weeks ago.

Forget Plastics; The Future Is in Mold --- Complaints Rise as

Newcomers Flock Into Fungus-Removal Work; How to Get Rid of It

Yourself

J000000020040212e02c0004g

By Higgins

1163 Words

12 February 2004

The Wall Street Journal

D1

English

(Copyright © 2004, Dow & Company, Inc.)

SEVEN MONTHS AGO, Barr was repairing heating and air-

conditioning units in New York City. But he decided a better future

lay in mold. " I think there's a good growth opportunity, " he says.

Now Mr. Barr is a mold inspector and remediator who charges about

$125 to test mold in people's homes. He took a $1,000 home-study

course he found on the Internet and passed a multiple-choice exam,

plus a quiz over the phone. He even has a mold-inspector badge,

issued by a group called the Certified Mold Inspectors & Contractors

Institute. " We did a lot of research and study, " during the course,

says Mr. Barr, who feels he is qualified to do mold cleanup.

As individual homeowners try to get a grip on their mold problems,

state attorneys general and consumer groups say they are seeing a

stream of complaints about botched cleanup jobs done by inexperienced

workers. The problem has gotten serious enough that several states

are working on regulations and licensing requirements for mold-

inspection and -remediation companies.

Currently, there are no federal or state regulations, and mold

companies aren't required to be licensed or certified.

" My nail technician is more regulated " than mold cleaners, says

Melinda Ballard, head of Policyholders of America, a nonprofit group

in Austin, Texas. " There's something wrong with that. " Ms. Ballard

started the organization, which helps people file insurance claims,

after winning a mold-related lawsuit against an insurer.

Such suits helped give rise to a flood of mold claims and to so-

called mold remediation -- an industry that was virtually nonexistent

a few years ago. Lured by the promise of fatter paychecks, workers

with minimal training soon started billing themselves as mold

remediators. There are now between 10,000 and 20,000 mold-removal

companies in the country, according to the Indoor Air Quality

Association, which offers a mold-cleanup training program.

Mold remediation can cost anywhere from several hundred dollars to

more than $100,000 depending on the scope of the problem. And since

almost every major insurer now excludes mold from standard policies,

many consumers must pay out of their own pockets.

The proliferation of new companies has led to a number of horror

stories. When Kase Velasco's kitchen sink started leaking, his

insurer dispatched a company to clean up the water and black mold

that had spread on the wall behind the sink. Mr. Velasco, his wife,

and two children packed up and moved out of their Houston home and

into a nearby apartment while the mold cleanup company took apart

their house to eradicate the fungus.

Seven months, and about $22,000 in insurance money later, the family

moved back. So did the mold. A round of testing showed mold levels

were actually higher than when they left. He learned that the company

hired to get rid of the mold had been in the roofing business just

six months before.

" All they were was glorified demolition guys, " says Mr. Velasco, a

commercial-real-estate developer, who declined to name the company.

Mold Relief Inc., a nonprofit organization in Norman, Okla., that

offers assistance to families affected by indoor mold, has received

dozens of complaints from California to Oklahoma to Virginia about

improper inspections or cleanup jobs. " I get calls from everywhere, "

says Larkin, executive director of Mold Relief. Companies come

in to people's homes, she says, " and a week later there's mushrooms

growing in the carpet. "

Last month, Mold Restoration Inc., a mold-remediation company, agreed

to pay upward of $800,000 for restitution to consumers in a

settlement of a lawsuit brought two years go by then Texas Attorney

General Cornyn on behalf of half a dozen consumers. The suit

alleged that the company left homeowners with unfinished restoration

work meant to correct severe mold. An attorney for Mold Restoration

says the company didn't admit any wrongdoing. Since June of 2002 the

Attorney General's office has received nearly 200 other complaints

against various mold-remediation companies.

At least two states -- Louisiana and Texas -- have enacted

legislation that would require some form of licensing or registration

for anyone involved with mold inspection, analysis or cleanup, though

much of the details are still being worked out.

Several other states, and at least one federal lawmaker, have

introduced bills that seek to research and establish standards

regarding mold identification and remediation.

Part of the problem with trying to establish regulatory practices

around mold is there are no standards for acceptable levels of mold

inside a home. Molds are part of the natural environment and can be

found practically everywhere. Different people have different

sensitivities to molds. When testing is done, it usually just

compares the levels and types of mold spores found inside the home

with those on the outside.

If the moldy area is less than 10 square feet, you can usually clean

it up yourself. If the moldy area is larger, or if you smell mold but

can't see it, you should hire someone to do the cleanup. Experts

advise that homeowners check with local consumer affairs agencies and

the Better Business Bureau before engaging a testing or remediation

company. Ask a company for examples of removal experience and check

references. And avoid conflicts of interest by not hiring the same

company to do both the inspection and remediation.

---

Getting Help

If you need an expert to clean up mold in your home, here are some

steps

to help find a reliable one:

-- Check a firm's complaint record with local consumer affairs

agencies

and Better Business Bureau.

-- Ask for examples of removal experience and check references.

-- To avoid conflicts of interest, don't hire the same company to

do both

the inspection and remediation.

---

Got Mold?

If the moldy area in your home is less than 10 square feet you can

usually clean it up yourself. Here are some tips on getting rid of

the fuzzy

stuff -- and for making sure it doesn t grow back.

-- First, fix the leak or whatever is causing moisture. If you

don't, the

fungus is likely to grow back.

-- Don gloves, goggles and a mask. If the mold is on a hard

surface, like

ceramic tile, scrub the area with detergent and water and dry

completely.

-- Remove any absorbent or porous materials that are moldy -- such

as

ceiling tiles and carpet -- in a sealed plastic bag to prevent

spreading

mold spores.

-- Keep indoor moisture below 60% relative humidity to prevent

mold from

growing back.

-- Run the bathroom fan or open the window when showering. Use

exhaust

fans or open windows whenever cooking or running the dishwasher.

-- Vent appliances that produce moisture, such as clothes dryers,

stoves

and kerosene heaters to the outside where possible.

Sources: epa.gov, WSJ research

--- In , " Joe Esposito " <mwradio@g...>

wrote:

> Did they rush you into doing the remediation?

>

> I had an estimate from one company where the guy doing the estimate

told me

> that his " guys " just happened to be in the area this week and were

sitting

> because a another job was put on hold because it was a govt.

building. He

> told me that he would give me a special discount if I would sign the

> contract, write a check for a deposit and have the remediation done

the next

> day.

>

> These companies are unfortunately taking advantage of the Hysteria.

>

> Joe E.

> ----- Original Message -----

> From: " frogzorro " <checkov14@a...>

> < >

> Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2004 2:11 AM

> Subject: [] Be Careful of Restoration Companies...

>

>

> > I had hired ( by a recommendation of a testing co. that I trust)

to CA

> restoation

> > company to clean my possesions. I chose one and they are a greedy

company

> that put

> > me in danger and saved the most important articles for last. Now,

they

> want an extra

> > $5200 to clean it.

> > They charge while the items are in their possession while waiting

for a

> tester to test

> > the items, once cleaned. This is a franchise, like the Mcdonalds

of Mold.

> I will find out

> > more on Monday after consulting my attorney.

> > I had to take my cat to the vets on Friday as I noticed two

pea-sized

> lumps on her

> > belly. My vet knew more about allergies ( ear wax, Interstitial

Cystisis,

> mold, Chemical

> > sensititivies) than my doctors. Go figure. This goup has given

me so

> much-- I would

> > like to thank you all.

> >

> > Lori K and Meow Cat

> >